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Peter Bent (1629-1678)
}} Biography Peter Bent, Son of John. Born at Penton Grafton, Eng., in April, 1629. Married, about 1651, Elizabeth. Settled at Marlborough. Died in England in May, 1678. His house was garrisoned, was burned by the Indians, and one of his sons scalped, during King Philip's war. (1675) Peter Bent (John) was born in Penton-Grafton, England, in April, 1629, and died in England, whither he seems to have gone on business, in May, 1678, age, 49. He was but nine years old when he accompanied his father to America. "At or before the incorporation in 1660 of Marlboro', which was carved out of the wilderness to the west of Sudbury, he had moved thither. He and his father were among the thirteen who petitioned the Colony in 1656 for the laying out of the town. He built a grist mill on Stony Brook, in what is now the town of Southboro, and became a busy man. In 1661 he contracted to build a bridge across the Sudbury River 'for horse and man and laden carts to pass over.' More than once he went to England, no small undertaking in those days. "He had build his house just south of Williams Pond, a mile or more from the present centre of Marlboro... Here his little family was growing up when suddenly the Indians, stirred up by the animosities of the Narragansett chief, King Philip, swooped down upon the growing town, one Sunday morning (March 26, 1676), while the good people were at church, applied the fire-brand, and Marlboro was no more. The November before, a small band of Indians crept up to Bent's mill and scalped his son (probably Zacheus, a lad of nine years) left him for dead - he afterwards recovered - and carried off one of his apprentices, Christopher Muchin (Mass. Archives, vol. 68, p. 40). "But Peter's troubles had begun before this, as will be seen from the following extract from the Records of the Governor and Colony of Massachusetts Bay: 'Sep. 10, 1653. In ansr to the peticon of Peter Bent for reparacon of damages sustained in his hourses going on the countrjes service to Conecticott, the Court understanding this petitioners horse was by that journey worsted of at least sixe pounds in the value of it, besides his charge for the cure and hire of it, they therefore judge meete and order, that he shall be allowed tenn pounds out of the countryie levy, if he accept thereof, or otherwise he may have the liberty to sue the Treasurer, and recover what damage he cann justly proove.' "Two years after Marlboro was burned by the Indians (1676), Peter died. The inventory of his estate includes `26 acres of ye house lott at Marlbrough, Milstones and Mil Irons, 25 acres of upland, joyneing to ye former house lot' and much other land, the real estate being appraised at L436. The personal estate, amounting to a little more than L40, includes one pair pistols, holsters and three swords. "Peter left a widow Elizabeth (maiden name not ascertained), who was living in Sudbury in 1704, when she deeded to her elder son her widow's third of the Marlboro property. A year after her husband's death, she petitioned the Governor and Council for aid. (The petition, which is an interesting one, will be found in full elsewhere.)' Marriage & Family Children of Peter and Elizabeth. 1 - 3 born in Sudbury, the others in Marlboro: 3 # Peter Bent (1653-1717) - b. Oct 15, 1653 # Martha, mentioned in her father's will and probably the Martha living unmarried in Boston in 1690. # Elizabeth Bent (1658-1683) - b. Dec. 2, 1658; d. in Sudbury, Feb. 21, 1683. # Agnes, b. Aug. 19, 1661; d. June 4, 1729, age 68; m. July 9, 1684, Caleb Johnson, of Sudbury, b. probably in 1646, d. Dec. 1, 1715, son of Solomon Johnson. # John Bent (1663-1676) - b. Jan 8, 1663; d. April 20, 1676, in Cambridge, whither the family had taken refuge after Marlborough MA had been burned by the Indians. John himself was badly wounded and died the next year. # Zacheus, b. about 1667; d. in sudbury, March 20, 1690; referred to in his father's will as weak in body. # Patience, b. aug. 28, 1670. # Hopestill Bent (1672-1725) b. Jan 17, 1672. - veteran of King William's War - 1690 disastrous Canadian Campaign. References * Gilbert O. Bent, Who Begot Thee?, p. 8 * Allen H. Bent, Bent Family in America, David Clapp & Son, Boston MA, 1900, p. 13-14 * Bent (1900), p. 9-16 * John Bent 1596 List of Famous Descendants Category:Migrants from England to Massachusetts